CLASS NOTES me financially. I just retired as head trauma surgeon for three hospitals near Florence. My future is uncertain. I am just taking it easy and enjoying being a father. I have several options: a private clinic doing research in gender-related orthopedics, a small private practice, or just leave it all and move to Portugal or Costa Rica. To be continued.” • Cornell Hills officiated at daughter Alicia’s small and intimate D.C. wedding before heading to St. Maarten for a more public wedding ceremony, followed by a reception at their Fairfax, Va., home. In between all of this, he and wife Laura traveled to La Jolla, Calif., where they had dinner with John Gordon and Athan Billias and their wives at John’s home. It was a wonderful evening, which ended with Athan entertaining: He “can really jam it on the piano,” says Cornell. • Bill Brundage had a successful knee replacement and continues to work part time on the North Shore of Boston. • Dale Silver moved to a new home in Dallas, which is more easily accessible for his son, Andrew, who has a permanent spinal injury from a lake-diving accident three years ago. Dale is semi-retired after he and his brother sold their chips and salsa company, On the Border. • John Hirsch begins a newly created position at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. As director of strategic initiatives, he will work in collaboration with the vicepresident for college advancement. John is responsible for building and implementing campaigns and initiatives that further the college’s strategic plan, fundraising goals, and leadership volunteer communications and engagement. After eight years in development, John looks forward to “reinventing myself at this age and time.” John had dinner at Rajan Batra’s Southern California home during a business trip. • Steve Row is relaxing while sitting on the deck of a small cottage on the Bay of Fundy, where his family has been spending summers for more than 60 years. • Sam Brett is enjoying spending time with his daughters and grandkids and says “nothing’s better.” He intends to join us for the 50th! • Alex Lotocki enjoyed his first year serving as an NMH trustee, although he felt a bit funny attending NMH’s commencement in academic robes! After a great deal of time, energy, and persistence, Alex was not only able to give me David Robinson’s email address, but he was able to obtain a copy of Jackie Robinson’s commencement speech, which was delivered to us. It was found in the Library of Congress, and by the time you read this I hope to have been able to find a way to send you all a copy (now you see why I want your email addresses?!). Thank you, Alex. • Jon Romig writes, “My wife, Linda, and I are back together after a five-year separation, and things are good. We learned a lot from being apart and will celebrate our 30th anniversary this year. I moved back to Boston from Detroit in 2014 and am now with Steffian Bradley Architects as principal of science and technology markets. My office is literally in
Time is well spent by (from left) Enid Oberholtzer ’70, Nancy Gregory ’70, Louise Rothery ’70, and Cindy Stinchfield Ryan ’70.
the middle of Boston Harbor on the top floor at the very end of Black Falcon Pier. I took my 19th backpacking trip to the Southwest last summer. I hiked into the San Juan range in southwest Colorado to 12,000 feet and above. It was a demanding and fantastic trip — these legs can still do it!” I can attest to Jon’s physical stamina. He joined us on one of our Hogger mini-reunions and was concerned that they weren’t strenuous enough! • Biff Watson is enjoying life in Nashville, where he plays backup guitar for a wide range of established artists — Lady Antebellum, Charlie Daniels, Randy Travis — while helping identify and promote the next generation of stars. In his spare time, he plays tennis, fixes his house on a lake, and helps with granddaughter Bella’s school production. • As we approach our 50th reunion, I hope to connect with more of you so that together we can begin to plan what I can assure you is going to be a “don’t miss” event. Be in touch!
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Northfield Please send news to: nmhnotes@nmhschool.org
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Mount Hermon David C. Eldredge d.eldredge@verizon.net
It was four days of nonstop laughter, warm reminiscence, and loving camaraderie. It was great food. It was laughter. It was great singing, bike riding, hiking, or just hanging out with a truly remarkable collection of people. It was laughter. It was an absolutely perfect Saturday in a beautiful bucolic corner of New England. “It” was, of course, our 45th class reunion — and there’s not enough allocated space in this column for all the words it would take to accurately recapture “it.” • Allow me to try and recapture memories of all who gathered on the hill in Gill (and if I inadvertently overlook someone, give me a few work hours or laps around the track next time). Not arriving until Friday, I missed seeing early Thursday arriviste Jim Morrisette (who had to look after an aging parent) and possibly Lisa Paszamant Clark and Judy Tremblay Barrett, too. • In the meantime, Austin Duvernoy had recruited Peter Horne, Steve Michaels, and
Sylvia Marshall Bailey ’70 (left) shares a toast with Martha Seely ’70.
Marilynn Acker Ezell into a Mountain Day redux hike up Monadnock. Unfortunately, uneven weather left Austin alone at the summit. But fortunately, just as yours truly and wife Jill arrived on Friday afternoon, the sun broke through to set an appropriate stage for the weekend’s festivities. • One by one, fellow classmates came into view: Wendell and Peggy Cummings; Sarah Melling Guterman; Mike and Marcia Ruane; George Forish; Bill Parker and John Townsend; Cindy Kitchen Hogan (with daughter Amelia) and Crys Orlow Farr; Myche Farmer and Claudia Istel; Bruce and Nan Close Brown; Sally Atwater; Leigh Hansen, Lauren Jarvi, and Janet Bruggemeyer Wilson; Marshall and Susan Horowitz; Brad Foster, Chuck Kirk, and Charlie Long; Stetson and Anne Marie Heiser; Jon and Miriam Whitehouse; Dave and Deb Kjeldsen; upfor-the-dayers John Lewis and brother Harry, Lee Smolan, Ellen Bernstein, Sara Anderson, and Nancy and Biddle “Tom” Thompson; and, finally, Joe Mingolla and (making her long-awaited reunion debut) spouse Lia (cue the chorus, please!). • Phil Jamison’s book, Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance (University of Illinois Press 2015), explores the history behind the square dances, step dances, reels, and other forms of dance practiced in southern Appalachia. Find out more about what Phil’s been up to at philjamison.com. • Our special guest correspondent Austin Duvernoy provides a recap: “I couldn’t get to sleep very easily the night before leaving for
Austin Duvernoy ’71 conquered Mt. Monadnock to commemorate Reunion 2016.
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